Crimson Tide
by Peridot Lion
Summary: With the exception of Chapter 1intro, CRIMSON TIDE is set immediately after the Season 2 Finale. The story focuses on Zuko and Katara's experiences following the coup of BaSingSe.ZUTARAread chap 1&3 & thatll be clear. Other stuff, but Zutara main point.
1. Over the Deep

**Chapter 1: Over the Deep**

Part 1: The Changing Wind

Thick clouds soared across the moonless night sky. Small gaps in the haze offered glimpses of stars, which glimmered dimly in the darkness. Their faint light shone down on the midnight blue waves that lapped against the black metal sides of the Fire Navy ship anchored in a small, sheltered cove on the western coast of the Earth Kingdom. The cove was near the middle of the planet and a warm, dry breeze flowed over the ship, coming from the vast desert laying only a few _li_ inland. It was only early spring but the night would have been called hot by anyone unused to the sun-baked regions around the equator of the world.

A sudden gust of parched air from the mainland sent the crimson pennant at the apex of the ship's tower fluttering, pointing the tip of the banner out to sea.

The silk fabric snapped quietly in the wind.

The faint sound drew momentary consideration from a handful of guards and crewmen patrolling the deck but they were quick to disregard the faint land breeze and turn their attention elsewhere. A skeleton night watch for a vessel anchored along a desolate coast known for its lack of population.

The Fire Navy had abandoned the use of wind to drive their ships in favor of coal more than a century before. It was because of this that the sailors did not notice a critical error in the pattern of the wind. Any man or woman accustomed to using the power of air and sail could have told them the problem. That wind only comes from land during the day; at night the breeze should come from the sea!

The strange wind was a testament to the growing chaos of the interconnected world. An Air Nomad parable from before the Great War stated:

_ A sky bison swinging its tail over the southern air temple can cause a hurricane at the North Pole. _

Each of the other three nations has their own version of this allegory but the meanings were the same; small changes in one place can reverberate and have immense effects at another, seemingly unrelated, location.

Everything is connected, and a massive bison had just swung its tail.

Everything is connected…

Part 2: The Hunter and The Maiden

Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation, son of Ozai and Ursa, brother to Azula and would-be heir to the imperial throne, turned over in his bunk as a breath of hot wind wafted through his cabin. The young prince groaned and shut his eyes tightly, trying in vain to will himself into sleep. It was not the heat that bothered him; he had been raised on the tropical islands of the fire nation and felt more at home in the furnace of his native element than anywhere else. No, it was something else that kept Zuko awake.

_ This Agni-cursed quest and the thrice Agni-cursed Avatar!_ Zuko thought. _Damn them! When will this all be over?_

With a sound between a sigh and a growl Zuko threw off the blankets and climbed to his feet. Wearing only a pair of loose fitting sleeping trousers, he was bare to the waist. His torso was well muscled. Not styled in the bulging, oversized mass of an earthbender or the smooth, sleek form of a waterbender, he was somewhere in between. His muscles were hard and well-formed by constant training, standing out in frightening definition. His build was such that he was slender and powerful all at once. Standing in the cabin with the cold starlight shining on his pale skin he seemed to be carved from iron, hard and unyielding; a fighter, burning from the inside with a great power waiting to be unleashed.

Another gust of wind rustled his black topknot and Zuko reached back to smooth the sleep tousled hair. He rarely untied it now, leaving the binding in place as a constant reminder of his bond to his family…and to his honor.

Zuko snarled in anger before his mind could turn to those…_unhappy_…memories and ignited a small flame in his right hand, an orange plume suspended above his palm. With the increased light he glared around the room. His eyes passed over a small table to one side, an iron-bound chest and a desk piled with maps and documents. Zuko's gaze lingered on the pair of _dao_ broadswords set in brackets on the wall, and again on a simple wall hanging depicting the Fire Nation crest. New memories battling the old…

The young prince shook his head to clear it. Now that he was standing he was not sure why he had risen in the first place. Zuko had raised his left hand to rub the sleep from his eyes and his fingers passed across the ruined skin around his left eye. He stroked the scar lightly with his fingertips as a mournful expression crossed his face, his mouth slackening into a frown and his golden eyes wilting with a sorrow beyond their years. He could only feel the strongest touches there, now, and his light fingertips did not even register, as if they were touching the face of someone else. A deep sigh swelled in the banished prince's chest. He had been handsome before. He had heard some of the girls at court whispering about him when they thought he wasn't listening. It had been nice, for once, to stand out and be noticed for something good. But all that was gone. He was marked now, damaged.

The glow from the flame bathed his scar in flickering golden light.

Zuko clenched his fist to extinguish the tiny plume of fire and shook his head again to clear away the black thoughts. It wasn't time for that. Not now. Not ever. He _would_ capture the Avatar and he _would_ restore his honor and win back his father's love. He had to.

Prince Zuko turned back to his bunk stifling a yawn and crawled in, pulling the covers over him. Tomorrow was another chance to find the airbender and his companions. He would need his rest and dawn could only be a few hours off.

"_A good general knows that sleep can be the difference between victory and defeat,"_ he could hear his uncle Iroh saying _"A well rested army can beat a fatigued enemy force many times their size. Remember the old lion-wolf escaping the pack of jackal-boars…"_

With his uncle's half remembered lesson droning in his ear, Prince Zuko drifted off into an uneasy slumber.

If the moon had hung in the night sky, it would have been well past its apex and already descending towards the dark horizon when a shadow climbed over the side of the ship. A slight figure concealed by a hooded cloak slid over the deck railing and darted into the deep shadows below the tower before the patrolling guards could take notice. The cloaked shape crouched in the darkness for several heartbeats, enough time for the watchmen to pass by on their rounds. Once the sentinels had passed out of earshot, the anonymous invader pulled a small waterskin from under the cloak and drew out a silvery strand of water. The waterbender twirled the clear liquid off to one side while replacing the flask. Then, after pausing to ensure none of the guards were nearby, the stranger flattened the cord of water into a thin sheet and threw it against the wall of superstructure, freezing it into a coating of ice over the black metal.

Pausing one more time to make sure the area was truly deserted, the waterbender set their hands against the ice and began to climb. By freezing ice from the coating over their hands and feet and then releasing them one at a time to reach higher before re-freezing the appendage to the icy wall, it was possible for the waterbender to slowly and stealthily scale the sheer metal walls that would have defeated the most skilled marmot-mouse or frog-lizard.

It was slow going but before long the cloaked figure had reached the top level of the tower. Gripping the window ledge the bender took a moment to yank the water back into the flask at their waist before pulling themselves over the ledge and into the chamber beyond.

Landing in a crouch, the intruder surveyed the darkened room and let out a small sigh of relief to find it empty except for a sleeping figure on a cot against the far wall. He was lying on his side and turned away from the window, facing the wall, so it was unlikely that the intrusion would wake him. Eyes then fell across the desk piled high with papers that was set against the leftmost wall of the chamber. Straightening, the visitor reached up and pulled back the cloak's hood.

A long, dark braid tumbled out to lie across her left shoulder and bright blue eyes reflected the faint traces of starlight like the finest crystal. The fair eyes seemed in conflict with her dusky skin, but the contrast only served to enhance her beauty, adding an exotic hint to her features. The delicate features of her face were belayed by a vibrant inner strength and determination, present even here in the midst of her enemies. Creeping quietly to the desk the girl demonstrated a sleek grace unique to her kind. Her figure was lithe and streamlined, the muscles underneath smooth and toned; a body that was the result of long training in her bending art.

Reaching the desk, Katara leaned over the piled accumulation of maps and scrolls. She carefully shuffled through the pile, trying to keep the noise of rustling paper to a minimum. Most of the scrolls were reports from nearby Fire Nation outposts. Some of them were badly singed.

About halfway through the heap on the desk Katara came across a treasure. It was a detailed map of the world, showing all of the major cities and outposts as well as which side controlled each. Katara quickly rolled up the chart and stashed it inside her robe. Their own map had been lost in a windstorm after leaving Kyoshi Island and crossing the main continent would be almost impossible without knowing the local area.

She continued rifling through the pages, looking for any indication of what the firebender prince would do next, whether he had any leads on where she, Aang and Sokka were, or anything else that might help them reach the Northern Water Tribe safely.

Suddenly a gust of hot wind rushed through the open window and blew across the desk, scattering the top layer of papers. Katara stiffened and held her breath. The noise had been enough to risk waking the sleeper to her right. She bit her lip in anxiety as the Fire Nation warrior groaned and turned over in his sleep, now facing towards her. But still his eyes remained blissfully closed. Katara let out her breath in relief and laid her hand on the top of the desk to steady herself. _That was too close_. She looked back at the enemy sleeping on the bunk, and it was then that she noticed the patch of scarred flesh around his left eye.

_ It was Zuko!_ Katara's eyes widened as she realized her position. She had inadvertently invaded _Zuko's_ rooms. Of course! It all made sense now that she thought about it. Who else would have such an extensive collection of reports, or have their quarters at the top of the ship; a place, she had learned, that other cultures reserved strictly for those of the highest rank.

Now Katara was worried. She had been ready to deal with a soldier or even one of the ship's firebenders but the Fire Nation Prince was another matter. This was a firebender who gave even Aang trouble. She though about leaving right then, but resisted the impulse. After coming so far it was important to finish the task. In a pocket of her robe Katara had a scroll forged to resemble an official Fire Nation summons ordering Prince Zuko home. It was a long shot but, if the plan worked, it would get rid of their pursuer and maybe help them reach the North Pole faster. In fact, when she thought about it, this could actually be for the best. Yes. What better place to put the fake scroll than in the layers of parchment on the prince's own desk? With so many different papers and reports scattered across the surface it would be understandable for Zuko to have missed one at first. And finding the order among the things on his desk would make it much more credible. This way the chances of success were much higher than she could have hoped for. Katara had just begun to reach for the counterfeit message when she hear a dull mutter to her right and froze.

Katara turned to see the firebending prince stir in his sleep. Zuko had turned onto his back and was stretching under the blankets. His breathing had picked up and he had started to murmur in his dream. Katara herself was an early riser and had become accustomed to seeing Aang and Sokka as they woke. Because of this she recognized these movements as a sign that Zuko was about to wake up. Katara inhaled sharply and whispered a frantic plea to the moon and ocean spirits that the firebender would just turn over and stay asleep. To her dismay they did not seem to hear her prayer. The murmuring crept louder while the prince's breathing sped up and his eyes began to flicker. Without a doubt Prince Zuko would be awake in a few moments and Katara was still standing by the desk, only a few steps away.

Katara had to make a choice. She could probably make it to the window before Zuko woke up, but there would be no time to leave the scroll. Or conceal the fact that his papers had been rifled through. And, if he should think something was amiss and came to the window before she had finished climbing down, there was no doubt that Zuko would spot her. Then her cover would be blown and she would have the entire crew in pursuit. No, Katara decided; that was too much of a risk. She quickly uncapped the waterskin and drew out its contents. If she could surprise Zuko as he came awake she could trap him in the bunk and knock him out. Then she would have enough time to fix the papers, insert the fake scroll and escape. She would also have to take something valuable and throw it overboard so that he would think the break-in was nothing more than a robbery. She had seen a set of elaborate statuettes by the window that would work.

Walking slowly to the bed Katara twirled the water and separated it into a smaller and larger part. The larger part she melded into a simple water-whip to immobilize and knock out the firebender. The smaller part she froze into an ice-dagger which she held in her right hand. If Zuko woke up before she started the dagger would be the first thing he would see; he would be focused on defending against that while she brought the water-whip in to disable him.

Katara reached the bed and took a deep breath.

_ You can do this_, she told herself, _it will only take a second. It'll be over before he knows what's happening. Plus, he'll be sleepy; if it takes Sokka a half-hour just to get out of his sleeping bundle, how can Zuko stop an attack when he's just woken up? You'll be fine, just do it._

As she looked down on the sleeping Fire Prince Katara hesitated for a moment. _He looks so peaceful_, she thought_, As if he's a boy like any other and not the prince of the Fire Nation. And his scar…While he's asleep it makes him seem almost…sad and alone, not evil or vicious._

The moment drew out. Katara looked down at the boy lying in front of her and felt a moment of connection with the sleeping firebender. He was no longer one of the soldiers who had killed her mother and divided her family. Instead Zuko seemed like a lost soul cast adrift. For that instant Katara saw a sorrowing and abandoned young man hidden away beneath a twisted outer shell of bitterness and isolation. It all seemed to happen so quickly, but at that moment his emotions and motives were as clear to her as if they had been her own, as if his soul had reached out in a plea for understanding. In that crystal clear moment everything made sense. In that moment Katara hesitated.

That hesitation cost her dearly.

Zuko's eyes snapped open. Katara blinked in shock. It was so abrupt! She brandished the ice-dagger in the air over the prince's neck, menacing him with it, while she started to bring up the water-whip as quickly as she could.

But Zuko moved faster than she would have thought possible, even for someone fully awake. Like a striking snake his hands darted up for the ice-dagger and Katara reacted instinctively, swinging the razor-sharp ice down at the firebender in self-defense. Zuko was ready for this, though, gripping her wrist in his left hand and seizing her grasp on the dagger with his right. He wasn't fast enough to escape the blow entirely and the tip of the dagger cut into the skin over his left collarbone. The dagger left behind a thin but deep near-horizontal gash about a forefinger long that sloped slightly down towards the center of his chest.

With the dagger stopped Zuko was out of immediate danger and swiftly counterattacked. Twisting Katara's wrist with his left hand to break her grip on the dagger he shunted heat into his right hand which he then slid down to grasp the ice-dagger. Against the greatly increased the skin temperature of his right hand the ice-dagger melted into nothing.

Then, seeing a blur of movement in the corner of his eye, Zuko swung onto his right elbow while bending his knees and bringing his feet halfway up the bunk to kick off and leap into the air. As he shot up Zuko spun towards the waterbender, the source of the movement. He clearly saw the water-whip being swung towards him in a long uppercut and his eyes locked with Katara's. Both sets narrowed in confrontation and time slowed down, Zuko seeming to hang in midair, Katara smoothly following through the motion that would send the rope of water crashing into the Banished Prince.

In that instant, with eyes locked, Zuko made his move. He half-kicked with his right leg and an arc of fire burst out and shot towards the incoming water-whip. In an instant the fire tore through the water, exploding it into a cloud of steam. Zuko landed in a crouch back on the cot less than two heartbeats after first leaping into the air.

Eyes turned upwards he jumped down to the floor and quickly grabbed the now powerless waterbender and pulled her towards him, operating on automatic self-defense. He had intended to turn her around to face away from him and then lock her arms at her sides by crossing his own arms across her chest and grasping her elbows. Unfortunately for Zuko it didn't work that way. Katara fought back, twisting against him and sending the pair tumbling back onto the cot. Zuko landed on his back with Katara sprawled on top of him, grabbing at his wrists to keep him from reaching her. Zuko twisted his wrists, trying to get free, and slid them out of Katara's grip only for their hands to inadvertently lock together.

Neither of them held the upper hand. Zuko was stronger but was pinned down by Katara, who was able to use her higher position as an advantage. It was then that their eyes met again, but differently than before. Gone was the outright lethality and aggression, leaving behind an emotional void that had yet to be filled.

Deep blue met molten gold. And with that the struggle and conflict leaked out of the two benders. In a moment similar to what Katara had experience while looking at Zuko as he slept, emotions connected and for a single, perfect instant everything else ceased to matter.

Neither of them knew who moved first, only that all of a sudden they _were_ moving. Just as Katara leaned down, Zuko stretched up. Their lips met and suddenly they were kissing. Their eyes had closed, but the crystal connection remained through their intertwined fingers and brushing lips. It was not a kiss brought through lust or even love, in the typical sense, but more an extraordinary moment which arose from a sudden and inimitable link between two beings as they met and slid together as surely as two pieces of a puzzle.

As suddenly as the kiss had begun, it ended. The two broke apart and their hands dropped, falling away from each other. Katara and Zuko were both flushed from the encounter and continued to stare at each other for several heartbeats in unvoiced surprise and uncertainty. Katara was the first to move. Blushing slightly, she climbed down from the bed and walked to the window with smooth, measured steps. Zuko turned onto his side to watch her leave. Pausing for one final backwards glance Katara stepped up onto the window ledge and, surveying the expanse of open air below her, made the dangerous leap out from the ship. She plummeted down and outwards, clearing the outer railing of the deck and plunging into the indigo water, using her waterbending to ease the passage. Then, as the guards rushed to see the cause of the splash, Katara dove down and spun the dark water behind her, propelling her away from the ship and towards the shore, the scroll still in the pocket of her robe. Zuko faintly heard the splash and the cries of the crewmen and laid back against the pillow on his bed. He pulled the blankets over him and by the time they had reached his chest Zuko's head had tilted back and he fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke the next morning Zuko would have thought it all a dream if not for the deep, slightly angled cut across his left collarbone.


	2. Fires of Ba Sing Se: Prince and Princess

**Chapter 2: Fires of Ba Sing Se...The Prince and the Princess**

Zuko leaned on the ornate stone balustrade and looked out over the vast city stretching beyond the horizon. The Fire Nation prince was standing on a balcony high up in the royal palace of Ba Sing Se, a part of the maze of ornate chambers which had made up the Earth King's apartments. A bitter smile tugged at Zuko's lips. A Fire Prince in the chambers of the _Earth_ King. The thought never failed to give him a sense of sardonic amusement, especially considering that he was not the only Fire Nation royalty residing in this part of the palace.

The early morning spring wind ruffled his dark hair but Zuko ignored it, keeping his hard golden eyes on the point where the sprawling stone city receded over the horizon. At least something had been gained from coming to this Agni-forsaken place. Fate, or Agni, or both, had brought him here at the right time. His hands tightened on the stone, unconsciously warming it beyond what a normal man could have with the heat of his body alone. Zuko breathed in the spring air sharply. He was back in the running and everything was in reach again. Spring was a time of new life, and _this_ spring was matched within him in a way no past season ever had been. This was his time.

Zuko heard the soft rasp of cloth on stone and turned. Azula stood behind him in the entrance to the balcony, leaning back against the arch of the doorway. Zuko still wondered at how she could seem relaxed and yet regal all at once. Azula luxuriated against the wood of the doorjamb and watched Zuko with penetrating, hooded eyes. She was dressed in a scarlet silk robe that had been discovered only after a significant search; red was not a popular color in the Earth Kingdom capitol. The robe was cut short, falling just above the knee, and tied loosely at the waist, revealing a scandalous view of the creamy white flesh above the princess's breasts. Zuko could see that Azula stood at a slight angle to offer a view of her cleavage where the sides of the robe met and dipped towards the waist sash. Her hair had been let down and was slightly tousled from sleep. Zuko had told her she looked better that way, more relaxed than with her dark tresses tied up in rigid order. Azula had fiercely contested that remark, saying that she preferred to look serious rather than attractive, but she conceded to leave her hair loose on occasion when they were not in public.

After their eyes had met for some moments Azula shifted, facing Zuko directly although still reclining her back against the outer wall of the palace. Her robe was thin and fluttered slightly in the wind as Prince and Princess stared at one another. Azula's light brown eyes were filled with a mixture of predatory hunger and curious interest; while Zuko's bright golden eyes had softened slightly and gazed at his sister with tired acceptance of her presence.

Azula gave a soft smile, more sincere that any she presented for months, and walked solely towards her brother, using one hand to hold the folds of her robe in place. She was barefoot and moved with light, delicate steps. Zuko almost matched the girl's smile; the warrior was gone, for now, and the Fire Nation noble was at the forefront. Azula strode up to the taller man and leaned lightly against his powerful chest.

"I've been looking for you," she purred affectionately and stretched up to kiss him.

Zuko sighed inwardly and bent down enough for her to brush her lips lightly against his cheek. Even when she was not swathed in the veneer of a warrior his sister's moods were strange and changeable. Although, he had to admit, she _had_ been unusually consistent with her affection for the past week. Zuko was sure it was only because the Dai Li coup had succeeded and one of his sister's accomplishments had finally equaled her expectations. He was sure she would return to normal soon. She _was_ Azula, after all.

Zuko sighed openly now "You couldn't have been looking for that long," he said, "It's not like I went more than fifteen paces away."

"Well, I suppose it was more _waiting_ for you," she said with a mischievous glance back at the doorway, "You woke up earlier than usual. I almost felt abandoned."

Hearing her last word Zuko grew colder, stiffening against Azula's presence. "Maybe you know what it feels like now. Being abandoned," he growled, scowling.

"Oh Zuko!" she gasped in sympathy, "You know I didn't mean it that way."

Azula reached up and wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck and pressed closer to his chest. Zuko allowed this but remained completely impassive, standing as straight as a pillar of stone. Azula sensed his indifference and stretched up on her toes and laid her chin on his shoulder with a small sigh.

"Zuko, you know what it is like at court. Everyone always watching, every moment a competition. I told you; I was dragged in by it all and got…carried away. But that's behind us now, we agreed…" she pleaded.

Zuko started to growl a response but stopped himself. He remembered the night after the coup. Azula had crept into his chambers after nightfall and spoken with him. She had explained how she had been wrong about him, to hunt him, how she wanted to put the fighting and ugliness behind them and have a fresh start. Another fresh start, if he properly remembered the time after Mother had disappeared. How she wanted to renew their…_relationship_.

The Fire Prince softened and drew his arms around Azula's waist. He had been totally alone that night, just like after Mother left. Azula had a knack for seeking him out when he was the most vulnerable. The long months wandering the Earth Kingdom and separating from Uncle had burnt out some of the fire in him. And Azula had never seemed like a sister to him. He wasn't sure what they were together; just something… different. He let his breath ease out and wrapped his arms tighter around the girl. He needed her as much as he hoped she needed him. He hoped she did.

Azula sensed the increase in affection and leaned up, setting her soft lips against Zuko's in a gentle kiss. It had all started after Ursa vanished. One day Zuko, fueled by rage at the loss of his mother, had actually knocked her down in a training bout. After that she had started to see him differently. Beating her, even once, deserved at least a little respect. At the same time she had been begun to notice how isolated she had become by pushing almost everyone away because they didn't meet her extreme standards of perfection. The combination of events had brought Azula to an unaccustomed feeling of sympathy for her lonely brother. It was a year before she left for the Academy and they had begun to spend time together and grew closer. Closer than had been proper, on several occasions. Azula demanded only the best and at that time Zuzu had matched her desires.

When she had left the palace they had grown apart again. In truth, the last seven days had been the most time they had spent together since the autumn morning she had left the palace to attend the Royal Fire Academy. Looking back at the last week Azula was surprised how much she had missed their time together. The conflict which had divided them, competition for the throne, was far away now. Azula smiled. Now she could actually spend time with someone without having to compete for superiority. Although she had come to dislike her brother since starting at the Academy, her dislike had been replaced with respect after the fight in the cavern, respect akin to that when he had knocked her down all those years ago. And now that they were together again…Azula did not know what it was, but everything felt so right. Agni be damned there were worse things in the world and this one was hardly unheard of, especially among royalty.

Zuko leaned into the kiss and they clutched tighter at each other. His mouth was hard against hers, her lips as soft as rose petals from the imperial gardens.

It was not love that had blossomed between them. Nor could it be called lust. There was the warmth of affection in their gazes and caresses, but not the deep devotion of love. There was passion in their kisses, but they did not ache for one another. In truth, Zuko and Azula valued each other with the fondness of close friends rather than the fervor and dedication of lovers. Their physical desire came closer to a wolf's search for a fit mate than the feverish lust between a girl and a boy. They were unlike anything they knew. Both were unsure what would come of their liaison, but that was not important now. Now they were together.

They broke apart, gasping for breath. Azula slid her hand down from Zuko's neck and entwined the fingers of her right hand with his. Tugging lightly she started to pull him towards the doorway, through which lay the sleeping chamber where the two of them stayed.

"It's still early Zuzu," Azula whispered tenderly, saying the nickname with warmth and affection; now a term of endearment instead of a taunt, "come back to bed."

A small, but kind, smile flitted across Zuko's lips. Soon the Prince and the Princess slid back through the entrance to the balcony and into the private room beyond.


	3. Old Scars

_I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is the property of Nickelodeon/Viacom and any resembelance to their characters and plotlines is entirely coincidential. I will obtain no personal profit from this piece of fan writing. This disclaimer applies to ALL chapters of this story, including any earlier chapters which may have been posted without a disclaimer._

Here is Chapter 3: Old Scars to CRIMSON TIDE. I apologize to my readers for the long update; I'm in what you could call a chaotic place right now. No, not New York. (sorry, got carried away--no offense intended). Also, I would like to assure you all that YES this is Zutara. I know that it wasn't very clear in Chapter 2 and I apologize for any confusion, it was merely the result of me having some fun in the storyline and I simply fell in love with the scene. The Zutara becomes very clear in this chapter, so please read on. And so, without further ado, I present...

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Chapter 3: Old Scars 

Golden sunlight streamed through the wooden shutters of a chamber high in the Earth King's palace, slicing through the shadows to cast molten gold bars across the crisp silken sheets of the bed set in the center of the room. The bed was a massive affair easily capable of sleeping five people, three more than were occupying it now, and had a vast headboard so heavily gilded that it seemed to be made of solid gold. Indeed, gold was the color which dominated the room, mixing with green in the wall hangings, the curtains and the excessively gilded tables and chairs with their green silk cushions stuffed with the finest goose-mink down. The entire chamber was an illustration of opulence. However, it was the predominance of rich greens and golds that made the scarlet silk bed sheets seem so out of place, invading the senses of anyone who entered the room. Despite the fortune poured into the bedchambers décor, the rest of the room seemed drab compared to the ostentatious bed. This happened in the same way that the two who occupied the bed outshone all those who surrounded them, like beacons in the sky. The twin fires of Ba Sing Se.

The dark-haired young man in the bed sat up and leaned back against the headboard. Looking around at his rich surroundings, Prince Zuko blinked sleep from his eyes and glanced toward the window. Outside the green enameled shutters lay the colossal expanse of the largest city in the world.

_What a miserable and dusty place this is_,Zuko scowled, _Why in the spirits' name would anyone be possessed to call this the "great city" of Ba Sing Se? _

_Or Na Sing Se, they might as well call it. _The young prince thought to himself with a small snort of laughter and disdainful scorn. _'Penetrable City' seems as good a name as any after what happened last week. Granted it wasn't in the way most would have expected, but it would still count. Besides, it's not like the Earth King is around to object._

Zuko frowned. The renaming, if it happened, might have to wait until after the regime change was revealed to the citizens. In the past week the Dai Li had been reporting the recent…_disturbance_…in the palace as a failed rebellion by the Council of Five. This explanation justified the disappearance of the five generals and the quiet arrests of a number of other high-ranking "disloyal" officers. It also explained the expulsion of the "untrustworthy" regular Earth Army soldiers from the palace guard force, leaving only the loyal Dai Li inside the now heavily fortified compound. Azula had found the cover up especially fitting; what better way to hide a coup than with another coup?

Zuko had to agree that the plan had worked extremely well so far, but he was more worried about what would happen when the city's population, and more importantly the thousands of soldiers garrisoned on the walls, discovered that a Fire Nation princess was ruling from the Earth King's throne. Even with the large Dai Li guard force Zuko did not want to be there if the Earth Army marched on the palace before Fire Nation troops could be brought into the city. And doing that in itself would alert their enemies. Timing would be everything, or else they would be buried in a grave they had dug for themselves.

The Fire Prince tensed as Azula shifted in her sleep; rolling over to rest her head on his arm and lay a hand over his naked chest. A smile slid over the princess's slack features. As Zuko looked down at the sleeping young woman she did not look like a sinister, manipulative creature who had tormented him inside and out for more years than he could remember. Even then, as they lay entwined in the silken sheets, she tortured him. He could not escape his desire for her, the connection they had forged in childhood and never managed to break.

And it was wrong; the old imperial custom of marrying brother to sister had been prohibited since the pre-war nations had been established centuries ago. There had always been latent rumors about the interior relations of royal families in the Great Nations; two centuries before it had been strongly believed that the Earth King had had relationships with not only one, but two of his nieces as well as a distant cousin. Some of the rumors Zuko even knew to be true; his own great-great-grandfather, the Firelord before Sozin, had even produced a child with his sister, although the fate of _that_ bastard offspring was unknown and probably for a good reason. None of this would serve to protect Zuko and Azula if they were discovered; the common people and nobles alike would tear them apart for their presumed sins. Every instant was a danger, but they couldn't break away, like two stars spiraling inwards and pulling each other closer to a fiery destruction.

He bit his lip. He wanted to be free of her even though a large part of him kept his body rooted firmly at Azula's side and in her, no, _their_, bed. Zuko wanted more, something beyond twisted desire and degenerate pleasure. He wanted a person who made him feel good in private and in public, an extent of kindness and indulgence that Azula would never be capable of. He could remember that night so many months ago, aboard his ship, when he had felt the first pangs of what he was sure must have been love. A hot night with a dry wind that had rushed through the metal passages of the ship, a night that had seemed more a dream than a real truth. A night he still wouldn't be sure had really happened, if not for a small reminder…

Zuko felt Azula twist against him, silken hair caressing his chest. Slowly her light golden-brown eyes opened and gazed up at him, eyes which could chill you to the bone as easily as warm you from head to toe. Her eyes were warm now and a quiet smile flitted across her lips. Azula moved, stretching out fitfully and laying her head down on Zuko's shoulder while continuing to gaze into his eyes.

"Good morning," she whispered "I was hoping you would still be here."

Zuko smiled at her warmth and bent his neck to kiss Azula on the forehead, making her giggle. Zuko's eye's had widened in surprise as he straightened.

_What is happening to Azula? She's never warm and affectionate for more than a night, and she _never_ giggles! It's been more than a week and she hasn't tried to do so much as taunt me. Who _is_ this girl she's becoming? Remember, Azula always lies, Azula always lies. Idiot, Zuko, for Agni's sake you have to remember that; Azula always lies. Azula. Always. Lies._

Meanwhile, Azula's hand had danced lightly up Zuko's bare chest until her long, slender fingers touched a slender scar over his left collarbone. She seemed to become intently focused on the thin, pink, slightly slanted mark and began to gently stroke it with her soft fingertips. Another smile crept over her face.

"Zuzu, dear," she purred, using the nickname in fondness rather than scorn, "have I ever told you how much I love your scars? They make you seem so very…rugged, and distinguished."

She went on coyly, "This one is new. I don't remember seeing it before this week and it can't be more than a year old. How _did_ you get it?"

Zuko grunted noncommittally. The story of how he had gotten that scar was one he had not told anyone, not even Uncle. And he knew Azula would not like the tale if he told her.

Azula giggled once more.

_Again?_,Zuko wondered, _Agni, what's come over her?_

"That's okay Zuzu," Azula murmured, "I like a man with a bit of mystery. It's more exciting, don't you think?"

Zuko muttered under his breath and looked towards the shuttered window and hoped that she would just let the conversation drop. Azula laughed at his sudden seriousness and leaned down to kiss the thin scar on her brother's collarbone. Zuko shivered slightly and Azula smiled at the reaction. She continued to kiss the length of the scar and then followed through to the center of his chest. She nibbled lightly on the pale skin pulled taut over hard muscle and slowly made her way up to the hollow of his throat, where she continued to kiss the skin.

Azula lifted her head and, taking Zuko's face in her hands, met his lips in a passionate kiss. Their mouths alternated between hard intensity and soft, playful bliss. Breaking the kiss Azula turned to brush her lips over the raw red flesh of Zuko's burn scar, showing rare consideration for what she knew to be her brother's greatest insecurity. Then she turned back to his mouth and resumed their kiss with all of the previous passion. Azula shifted to her left without breaking contact so that she could lie on top of him. Zuko's hands came up and stroked her shoulders and back and he did nothing to hide his strength; Azula would never allow herself to be treated like one of these _delicate_ Earth Kingdom girls. Zuko tightened his grip, clutching her to him, as she dug her fingers into his shoulders and pressed herself against his chest.

Moaning softly into each other's mouths the two firebenders slid back underneath the scarlet silk sheets.

(scene change)

s

s

Later, after the sun had risen high into the sky, Zuko awoke in the golden bed, entangled in the scarlet sheets. Stretching, Zuko propped himself up against the elaborate headboard and wiped away a thin sheen of sweat from his face. Azula was lying gently pressed against his left side, her tousled hair strewed across the pillow and her left hand resting softly on his taught abdomen. Zuko sighed. What was he going to do?

He reached up with his left hand and lightly stroked the scar at the top of his chest. Touching the scar was the only way that the night with the waterbender seemed real and not a deluded fever dream. The mark also brought back a rush of other memories.

_Clad in full armor, Zuko strode towards a slender girl tied against a tree. A river babbled in the background and reflected gleaming moonlight against the sky as the Fire Prince gazed down at the girl's pretty, yet defiant, features. He looked into her eyes, curiously seeking the flood of emotion they had brought him only months before, but nothing happened. Disappointed, Zuko continued with his intended plan. He flourished the necklace he had found, a carved silver medallion on a blue ribbon…_

_He stood over a boy and girl, both stretched out prone after the shirshu's attack. He scowled down at the pair; he had hoped to find the Avatar, not two worthless peasants. Well, maybe not entirely worthless…No; she was nothing. He hadn't felt anything since that night on the ship and he had a job to do now. His eye's drew over the Water-Tribe girl regretfully for a moment, but then he was stone again; a warrior's face, a prince's face. Damn this! They must have _something _with the Avatar's scent that the animal could track…_

Zuko frowned against the memories. Why couldn't this make sense? Fighting for the Fire Nation was important. Capturing the Avatar was important. Becoming Fire Lord was important. The girl from the South Pole just…wasn't. Right? He made a fist and brought it crashing down against his thigh. Agni! Why couldn't this be simple?

The Prince sighed and lay back against the bed. It had all become so complicated. He had finally convinced himself the night on the boat had been a fluke by the time he had entered Ba Sing Se. But after the time in the cave under the city…Zuko pressed his hands to his eyes, fully aware of the disfiguring scar.

_I was almost free_, he thought, _She was going to free me from this cursed scar and everything else. And then I lost it all, all over again. _

_It was the Avatar's fault! She was about to heal me and then that thrice-cursed boy took her away. Damn him! Damn them all!_

_Agni! I was almost free of her too. And then I had to see her in that cave, and hear about her mother and listen to her kindness. That brought everything back; that night, the kiss, the emotion and connection. I need her now. I want her._

Zuko gasped at the realization, as if he had been drenched in cold water.

_I need her, I want her…_

_I need her, I want her…_

(scene change)

s

s

High in the northern mountains, Katara lay curled in her sleeping bundle looking up at the starry night sky. It had been more than a week since she, Aang, Toph and Sokka had fled Ba Sing Se with the Earth King, just steps ahead of the Dai Li coup. They had flown as far as they could that first night and had only stopped at dawn when they were deep in the mountain range north of the great city. If it had not been for Aang's condition they would still be traveling. As it was, Aang's wounds had forced them to stop after that night. Sokka had found the small valley where they had landed to make camp until Aang recovered. They still didn't know how long that would be.

Katara shivered against the cold. Even in the relative shelter of the valley, icy winds from the peaks high above still penetrated the forest and whistled through the evergreen trees around the camp. Their small campfire had dwindled to embers hours before and now offered little warmth. Katara shivered again, but this time it was not because of the chill. She remembered the night that they had fled the city. Aang had been so close to death. Even the water from the Spirit Oasis had barely been enough to bring him back from the edge. And he was still so weak. For three days after they had reached the valley, Katara had spent day and night caring for the small boy too feeble to leave his blankets.

_Thank the spirits that he's gotten so much stronger since then,_ Katara thought, _When he climbed out of his bedroll on the fourth day and stood up, I thought I would cry with relief. He's done so much better since then, first walking around camp and then going for short strolls in the forest with Sokka. He's gotten much better…_

She closed her eyes tightly as faint tears leaked from under her eyelids.

"But he has so far to go," she whispered mournfully, "He can't walk without his staff to help him and he tires so easily."

Katara opened her eyes, which glistened wetly with fresh tears. Aang had come a long way in the past few days. She prayed to the spirits that he would recover. She was sure he would, but they had hurt him so badly. When he had rescued her from the cave she had thought there was no one was strong enough to beat him. He had been the most powerful bender she had ever seen. Now…now she didn't know. His spirit was still strong; he smiled and joked with Toph and Sokka, but his body was another matter. The wound in his back was slow to close, even with her daily healing sessions, and it limited his movement. She didn't even want to imagine what would happen if he tried to bend.

She bit down on her lip and squeezed her eyes shut against more tears. How could anyone _do_ something like this? Azula had almost killed the world's last hope, had almost killed a little boy. What made them so horrible, that they would do anything just to get their way? Her mother, Jet, all of the other airbenders and countless men, women and children everywhere. Where would the list stop?

She had thought there was an end; she had almost believed the killing and dying could come to a stop. It had been in the cave under the city where the Dai Li had imprisoned her. Learning that Zuko had suffered a loss so similar to her own…it was something she had never imagined. If she had something like that in common with an enemy, maybe they weren't so different after all. Maybe they could settle things in peace.

Katara laughed bitterly to herself. A lot of good that hope had done her. The Fire Prince had turned out just like every other firebender. No different from any other.

And yet…

…and yet there had been something about him that had reverberated within her. Just before Aang had broken into the small cave she had seen into Zuko, seen his anguish and isolation. It had reminded her of that night on the ship when she had looked down not on a Fire Prince or a prowling conqueror, but on a boy like any other she had known; just a soul born into a mantle of hatred and cruelty he had done nothing to earn. It had seemed like his stony exterior had been a façade for the real person sheltering inside. Now she wasn't sure what was real. She had thought Zuko had at least cared about his uncle, but he had betrayed the old man along with the rest of them.

What was she going to do? Aang had to get better. He had to master the elements before the end of summer. They had to reach the Fire Nation and defeat the Fire Lord. It felt like the weight of the entire world was pressing down on her, smothering, pressing her into the earth. And still Katara could not forget the glimpse of the lonely, lost soul she had seen in Zuko's eyes.

"What am I going to do?" Katara whispered.

* * *

There, you see, Zutara is the main focus of the story. I'm just building up to it and providing a form of backstory, worldview etc. and having some fun in the process. 

"He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God...At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete"---F. Scott Fitzgerald, _The Great Gatsby_

Please Review:)


	4. Only One

_I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is the property of Nickelodeon/Viacom and any resembelance to their characters and plotlines is entirely coincidential. I will obtain no personal profit from this piece of fan writing. This disclaimer applies to ALL chapters of this story, including any earlier chapters which may have been posted without a disclaimer._

Sorry it took so long to update. I moved and was in a state of chaos (and without internet, although that could be considered repetitive, ha ha). I actually wrote the brief scene with Aang and Appa when I was on the plane. It seemed kinda apt at the time. And this is a bit of a filler chapter, as well as an opportunity for me to practice dialogue. Chapter Five, The Dragon Gate, will be up within the week all things willing. But anyway, without further ado, enjoy Chapter 4 of CRIMSON TIDE; Only One... !

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Chapter 4: Only One…

The entire length of the massive, ornate green and gold hall was designed with only one purpose in mind; to focus attention upon the gilded and carved throne sitting on a dais at the far end. The throne room that formed the center of the Imperial Palace of Ba Sing Se was grand in scale, easily the size of a city square and completely enclosed by thick, engraved stone walls. Torches flanked a long silk carpet the color of fine jade which ran from the elaborate entrance to the badger-mole shaped throne at the far end. The towering pillars extending the length of the throne room stretched up from the flickering torchlight until they were lost from sight in the darkness and shadow hanging below the high ceiling. All in all the extensive chamber seemed oversized and under-lit, with the golden autumn glow of the torches weakly piercing the darkness beyond the jade carpet walkway. The grand hall that was the ancient seat of the Earth Kings bore a greater resemblance to a dilapidated and neglected storeroom than the center of power for the largest of the Great Nations.

The only inhabitants of the vast throne room were a score of Dai Li agents skulking in the shadows of the columns flanking the carpeted walkway, and a handful of men and women assembled at the base of the royal throne. A tall, slender man in floor-length emerald robes stood stiffly near the center, his elegantly mustached face set as rigid as stone. A petite young woman with her brown hair pulled into a functional braid was balancing gracefully on her hands, her fidgety movements and quiet, playful giggles at a contrast with her more solemn companions. The acrobat was met with a polar opposite in a pale, too-thin girl with long black hair who slouched on the lowest steps of the dais, twirling a small throwing knife with an aura of restless boredom. Standing directly in front of the throne was a young man with unruly dark hair and a vivid red scar across his left eye. His green and brown tunic and trousers were an Earth Kingdom cut common in Ba Sing Se; "playing the part" as he called it. Only a few steps away from him, seated on the golden chair that was the focal point of the entire room, was a dark-haired young woman in a green robe. The girl made an impressive figure and sat the throne with a regal presence that drew the eye, like iron to a loadstone. The scarred youth was watching the girl on the throne with a barely concealed aggressive impatience. Like the girl with the knife he was tired of stalling: it was time to act.

Azula inclined her head towards Long Feng, Chief Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and chief of the Dai Li.

"What news from the Wall?" she smoothly intoned.

Long Feng bowed, a motion from habit rather than respect, "The Dai Li agents that we sent to inspect the garrisons report that the arrest of the Council of Five has shaken the morale of the army regulars, but there has been no breakdown of discipline. The junior officers seem to be taking great care to maintain the martial readiness of their men. Our hope that the arrests would cause widespread collapse is futile. The army is simply too well trained to fall apart."

"A pity. If the garrisons had failed then it would have made the rest of our work all the easier." Azula frowned, but quickly resumed her impassive demeanor, "No matter. It was unlikely at best. This will stop nothing."

Long Feng pursed his lips in frustration "And just what, do you think, will the army do when you announce that Ba Sing Se is a province of the Fire Nation? They will not simply sit on the walls and twiddle their thumbs. And there are not enough Dai Li to hold the inner walls against even _half_ the numbers that they have assembled!"

Azula glared at her new vassal, her voice heavy with annoyance "I do not _intend_ for the Dai Li to defend the inner walls, and I certainly won't announce my position here like some crowing chameleon-rooster."

"The conquest of the city will be left to the Fire Nation army," she continued, cutting off the Grand Secretariat before he could protest, "Prince Zuko has seen to establishing a plan to get the Fire Army through the walls. Zuko, if you would?"

Still with a harsh edge to his features, the redeemed prince turned to glare at Long Feng. "The Dai Li will only have to bring a few units through the defenses for our plan to work. It would be best if they can make tunnels. I'm sure that a party of your earthbenders can manage _that_."

The Grand Secretariat shifted at the prince's disdain. "And your main army? How do you plan to get them in?"

"The Fire Army will be seeing to more important tasks, such as reports of rebel bandits in the northern mountains. And reports of the Avatar…" Zuko scowled, "The rest of the work is no concern to you. Just make sure the Dai Li carry out their task and there won't be any problems."

Long Feng choked at the abrupt dismissal. "Surely you cannot…"

"It is not your decision to decide what can and cannot be done, Long Feng," Azula coolly stated, "It is by my grace you are still the head of the Dai Li, especially after your failed betrayal."

Ty Lee took the opportunity to turn a quick flip onto her feet. "Don't feel too bad. Azula usually doesn't tell anyone anything." She cooed, "She's very mysterious."

She finished with a small giggle.

The only sign that Long Feng had heard her was the glare that her shot towards the acrobat before turning on his heel and walking stiffly out of the room.

Once the door had closed behind the fuming earthbender Azula turned to face Zuko.

"Have you picked out the units for the Dai Li to bring in? And…have the other orders been sent?"

"Everything is ready. I saw to it myself; the 3rd and 5th battalions are being brought in to secure the inner city and protect the palace, and the…specialist…is accompanying them. And I sent messages to the commanders encircling the city. By dawn two days from now all of the armies, except the 10th Rhinos Calvary by Serpent's Pass, will have pulled back to secure the countryside against earthbender rebels and search the mountains for the Avatar and his companions."

"And," he added on seeing the insistent look on Azula's face, "I've made sure the generals all know their _real_ orders. There won't be any mistakes."

Azula nodded calmly. Everything was going as expected; perfectly.

Zuko paused for a moment before continuing, "And I think there is one more job for the Dai Li…"

As he elaborated a chilling ghost of a smile crept across Azula's face. Everything would be perfect.

She would settle for no less.

* * *

Lin Xu listened quietly from the shadows of one of the nearby columns. As a member of the Dai Li he was trusted implicitly to remain silent about whatever was said during this private council. The plans being made mattered little to him anyway. He was but one piece of the puzzle, one cog in the machine. He would follow his orders and see his tasks carried out fully; it was not his place to make plans or evaluate strategy.

Although still relatively young, Lin Xu's hair had gone to steel gray, now streaked with only the faintest traces of black. Clean-shaven, the only elaboration to his appearance was a single long braid that he had pulled his hair into, unconsciously similar to the style favored by Long Feng. A capable earthbender, Lin Xu had risen quickly through the ranks of the Dai Li due to his unwavering obedience to his commands, approaching a frightening myrmidon-like rigidity.

It was because of his dedicated submission to a higher authority that Lin Xu had developed a strong philosophy that there could only be one leader. Even the illusion of there being more than one risked a dive into chaos. And chaos, with a lack of direct authority, meant disaster.

When the Earth King had ruled as a figurehead, Long Feng had been the clear ruler of the city and even those who supported the king's divine right knew the true face of power. Stability.

When the King had tried to oust Long Feng, the Grand Secretariat had still held the reins of the Dai Li firmly in his hands. There had still been only one decisive leader of the Dai Li and, thereby, the city. Stability.

When the Fire Princess, Azula, had faced down Long Feng in this very hall, Lin Xu had immediately seen the problem. Azula was the leader, that was plain, but Long Feng still was not a follower. He held too much independence and power, still, to be a follower. And if he was not a follower or a leader then he was something that could not exist. Down this path lay chaos and destruction. Instability.

Lin Xu knew something had to be done. Otherwise, chaos would descend and all order would be lost. Lin Xu had backed Long Feng when he was the clear ruler of Ba Sing Se. Lin Xu had backed Long Feng when he was the clear master of the Dai Li. It was clear now what he must do.

There could only be one leader. Only one…

* * *

Appa soared over the clouds and snowy mountain peaks. The chill was refreshing and revitalizing. Especially for the small boy sitting on the flying bison's back. Aang looked out over the white, puffy sea of clouds stretching as far as he could see. It had been almost two weeks since he had been hurt. He had healed quickly, thanks especially to the attentions of Katara's waterbending. He had even been able to practice small bending exercises with her and Toph. And now, for the first time in two weeks, in the air, he felt fully alive.

With a small breath Aang stepped over the edge of Appa's saddle and fell through the crisp, chilly air. He stretched out his arms and legs, feeling the air currents rush over them, becoming one with the wind which surged through the vast sky. Aang gently reached out, guiding the air around his body and now gliding gently through the air as he plummeted. He felt fully alive, like he had awakened from a fuzzy dream. Everything was right.

Appa soared under the young airbender, catching Aang lightly on his back. The boy laughed out loud as the bison ducked through clouds, over the snowcapped peaks which sparkled like crystal in the golden sunlight. The Avatar was back.

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There you go. (Finally!) Please feel free to review or comment. Hopefully the next, much longer chapter, The Dragon Gate, within a week. 


	5. The Dragon Gate

_I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is the property of Nickelodeon/Viacom and any resembelance to their characters and plotlines is entirely coincidential. I will obtain no personal profit from this piece of fan writing. This disclaimer applies to ALL chapters of this story, including any earlier chapters which may have been posted without a disclaimer._

Finally! Sorry it took so long; that's due to a combination of being busy and struggling with some of the story details. I hope you enjoy it (it is VERY long) and please respond and review! Thanks for your patience!

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**Chapter 5: The Dragon Gate**

**Part 1: The Tunnel**

Arid wind soared over the city from the desert to the west. With it came parched dust, unbearable heat, and whispers of war. All of these helped to drive the citizens of Ba Sing Se into their homes, but no one could have said which was the greatest cause for this retreat.

During the day the sun blazed down with unwarranted zeal and sent unbearable hot yellow light pouring into the streets and through any window not tightly shuttered against the invasion. Night brought only the slightest relief. The cool moon replaced the burning sun in the sky, but the searing wind still blew in from the desert and sent the people tossing in their beds. It was under this pitch night sky that Prince Zuko and a small compliment of Dai Li stole out of the palace high in the upper ring and began to descend towards the outer wall.

Dressed all in black, the party slipped through the upper and middle rings like shadows with barely a whisper of noise. As they moved through the lower ring Zuko noticed the tea house where he and his uncle had worked. It had been less than a month since those days, but it felt like a different lifetime. He almost stopped. Almost.

_I have a job to do. There's no time for weakness._

Zuko tapped the side of his black mask to regain focus and continued on towards the outer wall. The Dai Li agents moved with him. They all knew their task and that mistakes could not be afforded. Time was of the essence when they reached the outer wall. Pausing for a moment to make sure that the entire party had arrived, Zuko lead them around the base of the massive fortification until they reached a towering block of stone that formed one of the main gatehouses. Taking a deep breath Zuko tapped two times quickly and two times slowly on a small wooden door concealed in the shadow of the wall.

After a moment the door swung soundlessly open and a young Dai Li with steel-gray hair stepped out onto the threshold.

"My lord Zuko," he murmured, "Welcome to the Dragon Gate."

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Despite its overbearing size the gatehouse was almost completely empty. Flickering torches were spaced infrequently along its winding halls and passageways which were deserted except for the occasional robed Dai Li gliding past. Zuko and his small group followed the gray-haired agent silently into the heart of the fortress. Finally, after a number of twists and turns, they emerged into a large but completely deserted dining hall. Once all of the Dai Li party had entered the room the guide made a downward flicking gesture with his wrists and stone slid down over the doorway. The steel-gray man turned to Zuko.

"I apologize for the secrecy, lord", he intoned, bowing his head respectfully, "but the fewer that know about your work, the safer your plans will be. I am Lin Xu; I was appointed as commander of the Dragon Gate when the palace orders had it given over to the Dai Li last week. As a former adjunct of Grand Secretariat Long Feng I have also been charged with overseeing this phase of the plan.'

I will follow your instructions to the letter," he finished, adding a final, respectful bow.

"Good", nodded Zuko, scarcely bothering to survey the room, "Is everything ready for the entrance?"

"Yes, lord. I have the most loyal Dai Li standing by to open a tunnel to a copse of trees three hundred paces from the gate's entrance. There are other agents standing by there to help with opening the tunnel. They have already signaled back; your soldiers are with them."

Zuko continued to examine the Lin Xu, looking for any sign of reluctance to bring two battalions of firebenders into his home city, a city he had once been tasked to defend. After a moment he found nothing but eagerness to obey. Indeed, the man was strangely untroubled. Even the Dai Li Zuko had handpicked to accompany him had been uneasy about their task. But the officer in front of him was clearly nonplussed about any of the recent developments. Zuko suspected that if he had ordered Lin Xu to kill the other agents in the room, the man would have done it without a second breath.

Zuko smiled slowly. This man could be useful.

Zuko said smoothly, "Good, good. And since you mentioned being one of Long Feng's lieutenants, you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you? It _seems_ that no one has seen him in several days."

Lin Xu barely batted an eyelid.

"No lord. I'm afraid I haven't seen him. Do you wish for me to search?"

Zuko stared hard at the man. There was something there…something…Damn.

"No, never mind. I have more important things to deal with than a runaway old man. Are your agents ready? I would like to begin."

Lin Xu smiled, glad to have a task. "Yes lord. They only await my order."

And, with the Fire Prince's signal to continue, Lin Xu spread his feet and _pushed_ down on the air with his hands. There was a rumble from the earth underneath them, a sound which was echoed again and again until it sounded as if they were at the epicenter of a small earthquake. The subterranean thunder reached a crescendo and abruptly faded into silence. Then, after several still heartbeats, a loud crack split the silence and a two-pace-long expanse of the floor between the prince and Lin Xu fractured and fell into the ground.

After the stone dust cleared Zuko leaned forward and peered into the hole which had appeared where solid rock had been only moments before. The tunnel was pitch black and slowed downwards for several paces before leveling out, at which point it grew too faint to see. Zuko remedied this by igniting a large flame in his palm and holding it over the tunnel's entrance. The flickering orange light revealed a large tunnel, wide enough for five men to walk side-by-side without discomfort, which stretched out of sight into the blackness of the underground towards, he assumed, a copse of trees where his soldiers waited.

"All right, time to go," Zuko said summarily with a quick look at the Dai Li and, without a second glance, dropped into the tunnel.

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In the darkness the tunnel seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Zuko had a bright flame burning in his palm, but the fire's glow could only penetrate so far into the permanent, cool darkness of the earth. All he could see was an unending black wall lurking just outside the firelight, pushed back but never defeated. Zuko could faintly hear Lin Xu and the other Dai Li following him. He was tempted to look back or wait for them, as any companionship, even from earthbenders, would be preferable to the loneliness of this tunnel. But that was not the place of a prince. A leader had to look the part before anyone would follow him and part of that was standing alone, with faith that if you went forward the others would follow on your heels. If a prince had to look back to check if he was being followed, then it was clear he had lost confidence in himself. And no one obeys a man who cannot even stand for himself.

Zuko knew this, had known it from his first moments, but as he thought of it he could not shake the feeling of _wanting_ to look back, just because it felt like something of a forbidden fruit and he could do it. His uncle had always said that a personable leader is the kind that men like best, but look where that had gotten him; his men hadn't followed him to the throne when Ozai seized control, hadn't defended him when he was declared a traitor, and hadn't tried to rescue him from Azula's pursuit. Zuko had even tried being personable during his last months on ship, but then Zhao had taken his crew. From this, Zuko had learned that control was impermanent and could only be held onto strongly when you had it. The effort it took to be a personable, likeable leader wasn't worth the benefit before control was changed again. It took an iron fist to clutch at what you had and prolong the time that you had it. He had to be iron; strong and unyielding. He would _not_ look back. He would not show weakness. He was a prince of the Fire Nation and he had to hold onto that no matter what. It was important—for some reason…

Zuko was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the silvery glint of moonlight streaming weakly through the tunnel's exit.

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Blinking slightly against the cold white light, Zuko emerged from the tunnel into a clearing inside a relatively large stand of trees outside the walls of Ba Sing Se. The moon's round silver disc hung heavily overhead. Zuko remembered with a pang the last time he had seen a moon so full, in the cold icy north when he had faced a beautiful waterbender with whom he had once shared a kiss and an intangible moment…

A cry of recognition brought Zuko back to the present. Two battalions of five hundred firebenders each were arrayed in the clearing and the surrounding woods. The firebenders were dressed in full armor under dark cloaks, with the brightest patches of metal rubbed over with soot to prevent it from glinting and giving away their presence. The wall around the Dragon Gate was manned by Dai Li instructed to turn a blind eye to any approach, but it never hurt to take precautions. The yell that Zuko had heard had come from an officer who had just lifted his faceplate for a breath of fresh air.

"My Prince!", the man shouted dropping to his knee, "We were told it would be you meeting us, but it was hard to believe after the last several months, what with your arrest ordered and all. It is good to have the royalty back, your highness."

Zuko allowed himself a small smile. It was nice to see loyalty, even if it was more likely the result of his social position that anything else. Looking back around the clearing he now saw other soldiers starting to bow or kneel after recognizing him. Quickly he raised his hand to stop them.

"There isn't much time. We have to hurry.", he said, "Everyone into the tunnels."

And, with a faint clanging of metal, the firebenders poured into the tunnel, and into the gatehouse of Ba Sing Se.

As the last men clambered down into the hole, Zuko drew Lin Xu aside.

"I didn't ask earlier so that word wouldn't spread more than it has to. How is the other part of your task?"

Lin Xu nodded, half of it a bow. "My special squad has gathered up much of the blasting jelly in the city under the pretense of 'reducing fire hazards'. They've managed to store it fairly covertly in the unused storerooms and armories throughout the gatehouse. A large cache was placed in the midlevel guardroom with the window into the city, as you ordered."

"Excellent." Zuko murmured, "Everything is going as we planned…"

On this final thought he walked back into the tunnel and began making his way back into the city.

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As the last soldiers and Dai Li climbed out of the tunnel, Zuko called over the battalion commanders. Captain Zhu, a broad man of prodigious strength, lead the 5th while Captain Shin, infamous for his mastery of the Dragon Talon technique, lead the 3rd. While the men got organized Zuko gave these men their orders.

"When all of your men are through the tunnel the Dai Li will split you into smaller groups and bring you up to the palace. It is crucial that no one knows you're here. Don't get caught. Understand?", growled Zuko with a dangerous edge to his voice.

The pair nodded and quickly moved off to pass the orders on to their troops, already starting to break up the men into small groups, each with a junior officer who had been given strict orders regarding silence during the trek to the palace.

Zuko took this opportunity to approach a slight figure swathed in black cloth who was poised, as still as a statue, next to the tunnel opening. Stepping up to the man Zuko pulled aside a strip of cloth obscuring the man's eyes, revealing a red band carefully tattooed over his eyes and around the upper part of his face. Satisfied, Zuko replaced the cloth and stepped back.

"Do you know your orders?", he said quietly.

The cloaked soldier nodded.

"Do you have everything you need?"

Another nod

Taking a breath Zuko continued quietly, making sure no one else was listening.

"There is a room set aside for you at the Platypus-Bear tea house. It is directly inwards from here and the Dai Li with the gray braid will take you there tonight once the others are gone. From there you can plan out your shot. The Yu-Yan art of precision is necessary here and we had them send one of their best."

The cloth over the small man's face rippled slightly from what could have been a smile underneath, but a moment later the cloths were as still as stone and Zuko continued.

"There will not be any mistakes," Zuko growled menacingly, his eyes molten, "remember that, Yu-Yan."

The cloaked archer nodded. With that, Zuko turned and slid out the door with the first groups of masked and cloaked firebenders and made his way back through the night shadows to the palace. The final conquest of Ba Sing Se was about to begin.

* * *

**Part 2: Smoke on the Horizon**

A golden dawn broke over Ba Sing Se. Not a scorched, yellow dawn or a cold, early, white dawn, but a golden dawn. The sun slipped over the horizon bit by bit, luxuriating in the moment, and casting clear, defined rays of warm molten gold over the buildings and trees, sparkling on the morning dew. As the great city awoke its people savored the momentary reprieve from the oppressive baking heat, feeling the sun's beams seem to caress their faces with liquid warmth rather that burning fire, almost like a temporary apology for its cruelties in the past and its cruelties sure to come. The beauty and peace of the morning belayed the troubling events of the night before. To the inhabitants of the palace, to those who knew the full story of Ba Sing Se, the hot golden rays meant something more: Victory!

To the eyes at the pinnacle of the city the sunlight was bright and yellow but, from down along the outer wall, soldiers looked up to daylight tinged with ominous crimson. A golden dawn, a red dawn. What was promise and success to some was sorrow and bloodshed to the rest. As the world always had been, it continued.

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Decisively golden sunlight streamed across the palace balcony and through the wide doorway into the private bedroom of Prince Zuko. The prince himself sat on the edge of his excessive bed. He was clad in a pair of loose-fitting sleeping-trousers, colored such a dark red that they seemed black, and was bent forward so that his elbows rested on his knees as he held his head in his hands. His naked torso still shone pale in the bright light, but he no longer bore the underfed, too-thin appearance of months before; he was heavier now, with more muscle, especially around his shoulders and chest. But he was still decidedly lean, as anyone who had not seen him beforehand would conclude. The only difference was a look of being further developed, and of projecting a noticeable aura of physical power. He was a man now, without the visible weakness and apprehension of childhood, and he carried with him the strength which that entailed.

Steeling himself, filling his mind and body with the fire from the rising sun, Zuko rose and stood, parade-ground straight, facing the bright golden lines as they crept over the unsuspecting city stretching before him. It was time.

Zuko strode across the room to a small gilded vanity against the far wall, parallel to the bed and perpendicular to the outer wall with its green-shuttered windows. Zuko stared into the mirror for a long, hard moment. His molten gold eyes locked on their reflections. There were times…there were times he was not quite sure who he was anymore.

_This is _not_ the time. Not now. You have work to do. Focus!_, Zuko shouted at himself, urging.

Keeping his eyes locked on their reflections in the mirror he reached down to the surface of the vanity and picked up a black silk ribbon. Still staring into the mirror, transfixed, Zuko smoothed back his hair and pulled it into a short tail at the back of his head, tying it with the dark ribbon. Zuko exhaled, long and slow. Looking out of his right eye, he could glimpse a shadow of the young prince who had pleaded into the war room almost three years ago. Out of his left eye, he only saw a scarred, twisted creature that coupled with its own blood and burned with bitterness and anger.

_Agni, what am I?_, he wondered.

Anger flashed in the golden eyes and Zuko broke the trance, abruptly bowing his head and grasping the sides of the vanity in an iron grip. His muscles tensed, constricting, and he tightened his grip on the gilded wood until his hands hurt, the decorative carving digging into his flesh.

"Agni damn it!", he growled, "Not now. Not now. Give me peace. Please."

His only answer was laughter echoing in his head, in his memory.

"No!", Zuko yelled, overcome.

"What seems to be the matter, dear brother?", a soft, sibilant voice whispered in his ear and a cool hand slipped over his shoulder and down his chest.

"Ah! Azula!", gasped Zuko in shock, pulling away from the vanity, "Dammit, why do you have to sneak up on me?"

"Oh come now, Zuzu," she purred, lounging back against the bed, "how can I resist when you make it so fun? I hope nothing is wrong on such a special day."

She paused for a moment, "You do know what today is, yes?"

Zuko gritted his teeth at her tittering laugh. No matter how much she might think she had changed, the real Azula always came out when she was under pressure.

"Of course I know what today is," Zuko snapped, "I was the one who was up half the night bringing the battalions into the palace and finishing the Dragon Gate. I made the plan. _I_ set the date."

Azula only laughed, making light of his frustration.

"Relax Zuko. Honestly, you prepared very well. I know things will go well. And, if I might say so, it's nice to see you with a proper hairstyle at last; there were time I thought you were just another Earth Kingdom boy instead of a prince. And don't look so serious. That was a joke. You can laugh. Agni, Zuko, how did you ever survive for two years at sea? Perhaps I should ask…someone."

Zuko set his jaw and took deep breaths. _She doesn't matter. She doesn't matter._ He repeated to himself to stay calm. He just had to let her finish her rambling and he could go down to the armory. He could just take his anger out on any Earth Kingdom peasants foolish enough to get in his way once the battle started. All he had to do was get through the next few minutes.

While Zuko fixed his eyes on the cityscape past the balcony, focusing on the vision of it burning, Azula slid back across the silken scarlet sheets of the vast bed until she rested against the pillows by the headboard.

"You know Zuzu," she murmured coyly, "we could have some fun before you leave. I've heard soldiers say it's very…_relaxing_…before a battle."

Zuko stiffened. Avoiding meeting his sister's eyes he rigidly pulled a silk robe from across the back of a nearby chair and swung it over his bare shoulders. Edging towards the heavy double-doors leading out of the bedchamber he made a slight, stiff bow towards Azula.

"I have to go. There's a lot for me to prepare for today", he intoned, obviously uncomfortable, "Let me know if there is anything else to be done for the palace garrison…"

And with that, he turned abruptly and strode out the door, leaving behind a frowning Azula.

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Far from the city, the Imperial Fire Army was making final preparations for the invasion. Soldiers were checking their weapons and strapping on armor, firebenders meditated in the sunlight, drinking in the celestial energy they would need during the fight, and rhinos pulled massive machines of war into place. The vast camp exuded an air of composed urgency. Men rushed about their tasks with grim determination, every action an economy of motion, each soldier carrying out the jobs they had performed again and again before previous battles.

On the morning of battle there was little talk among the men. The handful of words that were exchanged were quickly drowned by the overpowering hush. Every face was filled with a stony fortitude and acceptance. Some whispered prayers, and some stared up at the clear sky. None of it mattered save that the army was ready to march and fight; in the end that was what would make the greatest difference in their fate. Only in victory would they live to see the next dawn. The Earth Kingdom would show them no mercy if they lost. Every soldier knew it, knew that they had to annihilate the enemy garrison in the city or they would all die. The Fire Nation expected no quarter, and they would give none.

As the burning yellow sun cleared the stark bloody line of the horizon, officers' shouts rang out like the crack of whips. The yells were soon joined by the creak of wagons, the clatter of armor and spears, and the bellows of rhinos. Moving like a single great beast the vast column lurched towards the distant city walls. The Fire Army was coming for Ba Sing Se.

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Deep inside the fortifications of the Dragon Gate, Lin Xu glided along a deserted hallway. The torches flickered dully in their brackets, the orange glow somber against the tan stone. His olive robes billowed loosely as he came to a stop by a small wooden door. Lin Xu flipped the latch with a light flick of his wrist and pushed through the open door. The passage through the door was narrow and sloped upwards through the fortress. The light was sparing here, too, and Lin Xu climbed upward for long stretches in near darkness. Finally he came to a slender corridor running perpendicular to the cramped passage that was its only entrance. Heavy wooden doors were scattered to the left and right, all on the far wall of the corridor. There were still no windows, but Lin Xu knew where he was; the corridor lay almost halfway up the fortress, with the wall across from him lying just beneath the outside of the citadel.

Walking up to the door a few paces away Lin Xu produced a set of keys and gently clicked the door open. The wooden barrier swung to the side, revealing a room filled to the ceiling with barrels stamped with large red handprints, a sign for danger that even the city's many illiterate could not fail to understand. Looking past the stacks of barrels, scarcely daring to breathe, Lin Xu saw faint golden light streaming through a small window on the far side. When he strained his eyes he could make out a sliver of cityscape beyond the ledge. His final inspection done, the Dai-Li officer softly closed the door and reset the lock. Pausing a moment to survey the doorway, Lin Xu planted his feet and _pushed_ up with his palms, sending a sheet of rock up from the ground to fill the door's arch, leaving no trace of the door or that there had ever been a room on the other side of the wall.

_There. Everything is prepared. The greatest task of the Dai Li is finished and the rest lies in the hands of others._ He thought contentedly. _It's a pity that Long Feng couldn't have lasted to see this day. He would have appreciated the work and effort that was put into the plan. It is too bad…_

A grim smile crept across Lin Xu's lips. _…too bad that he had to die so soon. But it was necessairy; he would have caused confusion, and confusion causes chaos. And that is unacceptable. He failed to keep his role as a leader and failed again to adapt to his role as a servant. I know that he would have disrupted the plan for his own selfish needs. The Dai Li serves the fire children now; there is no way to change that. Long Feng couldn't understand that, couldn't understand that if they, our masters, fail, so do the Dai Li. _

_The Dai Li preserve order. __If the Dai Li fall then order will fall with us. And that is _unacceptable

Lin Xu served well. He always did. This task might be done, but many more lay in the future if he continued to serve. And continue he would.

He felt a flicker of vibration from the earth.

_It's almost time…_

With that he turned and glided back down through the small passageway to the basement levels, and from there out a tunnel into a nearby shop where a small complement of Dai Li waited to follow him to the palace, leaving behind a deserted gatehouse in the direct path of the approaching Fire Army.

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Captain Ju leaned over the ramparts of the Great Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. The sun had not risen high, but he could tell that the day way going to be scorching hot. The captain stared down the height of the wall before it reached the ground, countless paces below him. Another day spent standing under the brunt of the sun in full armor, watching for an enemy that had not been seen in months, and not in years before _that_. Slouching against the rampart, the captain prepared to settle in for another day of oppressing boredom.

"Sir!"

Startled out of his reverie, Captain Ju turned to look at the young recruit, barely more than a boy, really, who had shouted. "What is it private? Spotted an inspection tour or something?"

"No sir," the boy's eyes were wide and his face had gone alarmingly white, "It's…it's…"

"Well spit it out. You're a soldier not a babble-bird. What's happened; has someone fallen over the wall?", snapped the captain, starting to become annoyed.

"No no no s-ssir," stuttered the boy, who was starting to tremble, "It's…I see…"

And he pointed. Captain Ju followed the young soldier's finger far off to the left, out towards the horizon from the old gatehouse sitting five hundred paces down the wall, and he saw…

"Great spirits!", he gasped in fear and disbelief at the dark mass crawling across the barren dirt, hungrily eating up the distance between it and the wall, "They're here, they're really here!"

Ju turned to his men strung out down the wall to his right, "Sound the alarm", he shouted, "The Fire Nation is here!"

There were yells of shock and alarm, terror and confusion, but there was no denying the vast army that was surging towards the city walls. The men rushed to light signal fires, sound warning bells and signal the ostrich horse riders at the base of the inside of the wall to call down the reserve garrisons from staging points below the inner walls. While his men rushed about their tasks, Captain Ju grabbed the young soldier.

"Hurry, come with me", he rushed, urging the boy to follow him towards the old gatehouse, "The Dai Li haven't put up any sentries, the fools. We need to warn them over at the Dragon Gate. And, if anyone can hold off the firebenders until the reinforcements arrive, it's them. We have to hurry!"

The Captain was soon dashing off towards the tower and its hope of salvation, the young recruit close on his heels.

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As the Fire Army closed in on the city the great siege engines slowed and stopped within range of the walls. Moving with urgency their crews deployed the braces and loaded the metal baskets of the huge catapults. In moments the main host had passed on and the catapults were ready. Acting as one the crews ignited the giant fireballs and fired, raking the wall tops with burning flame. Within a few barrages the sentries had been decimated and while a few catapults continued to focus on keeping the wall clear the rest changed focus to the buildings and fields behind the wall, hindering the approach of any Earth Kingdom reinforcements with walls of fire.

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Captain Ju and the young soldier burst through the rooftop door into the Dragon Gate. Racing down through the deserted hallways the pair passed nothing but empty rooms. After what felt like hours, but had really only been a few minutes, they stumbled into the mid-level dining chamber. Bent over and gasping for breath, Ju looked up to see a vast room completely devoid of any traces of life. The only sound was the mingling of the two men's heavy breathing.

"Dammit, where are they?", Ju panted in frustration, "In the name of the Earth King, we need help _now_."

The boy only looked at him with eyes dead from exhaustion and fear. A bead of perspiration slipped over Ju's eye.

"It'll be alright, boy," wheezed Ju, "…Just take a few minutes to…catch our breath…we'll find 'em and everything…will be…okay."

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Looking out the window of a high tower on the inner wall, the Yu Yan archer threw back his hood and narrowed his eyes at the tiny window in the distant guardhouse. It was time. He had seen the blasts of fire against the walls and the dying Earth Kingdom soldiers. The Fire Army was close and he had to make the shot. The Yu Yan focused on the distant window. Wind was negligible and the light was good. Except for the significant distance it was an easy shot. He drew his arrow through the brazier set up next to the window, igniting the oil soaked rag wrapped around the arrowhead. The Yu Yan brought the flaming arrow to his bow and lined it up against the distant window. His bow was larger than usual, almost the length of his body, to compensate for the vast distance to his target.

Taking careful aim and drawing the bow back to its fullest extent, the Yu Yan released the bowstring and sent the fire arrow soaring towards the far away slit window. True to its course, the burning arrow soared through the distant window and stabbed into the barrels of blasting jelly in the distant room. And, with that, the room and its nearby contemporaries exploded in a flash of fiery energy. The explosion spread through similarly prepared rooms throughout the gatehouse and consumed the entire tower in a burst of flame, sending debris from the massive detonation flying through the air to crash down on the unsuspecting city.

When the smoke cleared, a huge gap was visible in the once impenetrable city wall. Perfectly timed, it was only moments before Fire Nation troops began to pour through the breach. The fall of Ba Sing Se had begun.

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Zuko strode down a narrow avenue in the lower ring of the city. Fire streaked through the air and the shriek of arrows mingled with the screams of the wounded. Spread out in his wake were a dozen Dai-Li agents, his personal guard for the battle. The Fire Prince was on his way to send orders to the generals commanding the attack. Most importantly, he had marked out a map of the city with the "Dai-Li guarded" streets which the Fire Army could use to work their way higher into the city and, most importantly, through the upper gates without Earth Kingdom resistance. He had also marked out suggested movements for the troops while the climbed up through the streets; after careful planning and with the invaluable help of Lin Xu, who was well versed in Earth Army tactics and the defense plans for Ba Sing Se, they had devised a way to cut the Earth Kingdom army to pieces as they retreated. The remnants would then gather for a final stand at the palace only to find the gates closed and the walls manned by firebenders. Then, before the Earth army could react, the hammer of Fire Nation would fall and crush them against the anvil of the high palace walls. With careful misinformation and fake royal orders from Dai-Li messengers the strategy would see the Earth Kingdom destroyed by sundown.

Zuko was clad befitting his title, if not his heritage. He wore a silk Earth Kingdom tunic under an enameled green breastplate of the finest steel and similar gauntlets and grieves with gold scrollwork. Only the best for a prince, if not in the style and colors he would have preferred. Over his armor he had hung a light cloak colored a green so dark that it seemed black, a small compensation to his patriotic tastes.

_Every Fire Nation child has had dreams about marching through Ba Sing Se as a conqueror. I just never thought that I would be dressed in an Earth Kingdom uniform when it happened. The spirits have a mocking sense of humor._

_It could be worse; at least I'm _here_. Thank Agni._

His party had gotten into the Lower Ring before word of the attack had spread through the population. At that point the almost-empty streets became thronged with terrified civilians, some rushing home from jobs and others running to temples and relatives' houses. It did not matter to Zuko, as long as they did not slow him down. Mindless, unorganized peasants could not hope to have any effect on the advance of the Fire Army, even if that had been their intention.

_No_, he smiled to himself, _they'll all stay out of the way. And their army will fail. And victory _will_ be ours, at long last. And then, yes, then, I will hunt down the cursed Avatar and make him pay for shaming me with his unfair advantage, a birthright power he did nothing to earn. And then _I_ will be the heir; it will be irrefutable, for the prince who captured an avatar and brought him to the Imperial Palace in chains. And when I'm Fire Lord…yes, and when I'm Fire Lord, I might have a place for that Water Tribe girl._

Zuko set his teeth in a fierce grimace. No one would stop him now. Not the Avatar or his lackeys, not even his sister. It was time to _burn_ that bridge.

Before he could continue down that line of thought, Zuko and his Dai-Li rounded a corner into a deserted alleyway. At that same moment a trio of Earth Kingdom soldiers, earthbenders, came bursting through the opposite entrance to the alley. Breathing hard, they came to a gasping halt in front of a group of what appeared to be friendly troops. The lead earthbender straightened to look at Zuko and started to salute.

"Sir, the Fire Nation just broke through the inner wall to the Lower Ring. There were too many, we were pushed back…"

The earthbender paused, squinting at Zuko's face and, more importantly, at his scar. Annoyed by the man's behavior, Zuko glared back and, in that moment, a flicker of memory recalled the earthbender's small beard. Maybe someone he had seen in the tea shop?

In fact, he had not seen this man in quite some time, not since…not since—_Agni! He's one of the one's who tried to capture Uncle before the Winter Solstice!_

The bearded earthbender seemed to have shared Zuko's realization, because his eyes widened and he began to shout.

"Fireben—,"

But that was as far as he got. In a flash Zuko had pulled out his twin _dao_ swords and stabbed them both through the man's chest. The earthbender died with a gurgle. Not waiting for the man's companions to respond, Zuko vaulted over the body and attacked, swords slashing. The first earthbender caught Zuko's first strike on his gauntlet but was unprepared and quickly fell under a barrage of lightning fast blows which opened him up at the chest, stomach, groin and, finally, throat. Just as the man fell Zuko flipped to the side, narrowly avoiding a small boulder thrown by the last soldier. Spinning to face the earthbender just as he launched two more rocks, Zuko twisted away from the first, front-rolled under the second. Coming up at the man's feet, Zuko used the motion of the roll to slide to his feel and strike in a single smooth motion. Each blade stabbed through the unarmored space underneath each of the Earth soldier's armpits and exploded from his back, pinning him to the wall. Zuko tightly gripped the _dao_ hilts while his face hovered a few hands-breadths from the Earth Kingdom soldier's face. The man's hands fell to his sides and twitched feebly, but the dying earthbender was too weak to do more than stir the dust at his feet. Finally, with a grunt more of anger than exertion, Zuko pulled his swords free and let the body tumble to the dirt.

Exhaling fiercely, Zuko surveyed the three dead earthbenders, all felled within a few heartbeats. After bending down to clean his blades on one of corpse's tunics Zuko allowed him a tight smile of satisfaction. It felt good to be active again. And he had not even needed the Dai-Li for help.

_The extra practice is definitely showing._

"Come on, we don't have time for standing around," Zuko barked at the Dai-Li, "We have to move, _now_!"

And with that he turned and strode down the alley towards the wall, the twelve Dai-Li following closely behind.

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Coming upon a familiar street for the second time in less than a week, Zuko blinked. He had not meant to take this path to the wall, and in fact had thought he was on a different route. Odd that his feet would lead him to a place he had despised the entire time he had been forced to stay there. Zuko was about to turn away and walk down the street when a niggling ring in the back of his head compelled him to approach the tea shop.

He stood a few paces from the door, staring up at the sign hanging there with a mystified expression like one lost in a trance. Zuko reached into his tunic and pulled out a scroll bound with gold wire and sealed with the Imperial Crest in red wax. He held the scroll out to the side until one of the Dai-Li took it from his hand.

"Take two of the others and bring this to General Xan. He should be in charge of the attack. You will know where to find him." Zuko spoke, sounding dazed and almost unfocused, lost in thought. "Try to avoid notice, but don't do anything stupid. The Seal will get you through any Fire Army troops who question you. Xan will know what to do with the rest."

Zuko flicked his wrist, dismissing him. Soundlessly, the Dai-Li agent gestured to two of his companions and they turned and glided off towards the attack, keeping to the walls and shadows. Without looking to see that they had gone Zuko brusquely shook his head and blinked his eyes. He was making a grievous mistake by doing this. He knew that, and he could not afford to be unfocused while doing something so foolish. There would always be time to indulge his nostalgia, weakness, later…

_Ah, but Zuko, this feels special doesn't it? Like a spirit is whispering in your ear to go into the tea shop? What could that mean? Hmmm?_

The prince tossed off his reservations and set his jaw, throwing back his shoulders in a crisp military bearing which emanated pride and strength. Making a curt gesture for the Dai-Li to follow him, Zuko threw open the door and strode into the tea shop.

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The shop had not changed in the interceding weeks since he had left. There was the same drab wood decoration, the clean but worn plank floors and the same cramped rows of tables and benches running the length of the main room. The only difference was the people. When he had _served_ here, the clientele had consisted mostly of men, and a few women, from the city working class who had stopped for tea and food before or after work. Now, however, the benches in the front were empty and a crowd of maybe twenty women and children were huddled behind the tables in the back corner.

_Probably separated from husbands who went to work in the morning or left to fight._ Zuko thought grimly. _Maybe they came here to be with each other. Funny how the abandoned and forsaken tend to do that…but they probably still think their men are coming back when the "feeble" invasion is thrown out. Sad…well, a little._

When what looked like a battle scarred officer and nine Dai-Li burst into the tea house, the huddle at the far end of the room had cowered back in fearful anticipation. The officer in the lead had an expression that looked like it could have cracked stone, and the Dai-Li had always been viewed more as a force to be feared than as actual protectors. All in all their appearance did little to comfort the terrified city residents.

Zuko was quick to take note of this and did not waste much more than another look around the room before gesturing the Dai-Li to file out. He was just turning to follow them when a voice froze him in his tracks.

"Lee?"

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Zuko froze and spun around. A pretty, dark-haired Earth Kingdom girl in a green robe was standing up in the midst of the group huddled in the corner. Her eyes were bright with hope as they met his.

"Jin?" he gasped in surprise.

"Lee! It really is you!" she gushed and rushed across the room to throw her arms around him. "You just disappeared a few weeks ago, and then your uncle left all of a sudden; I was worried."

Jin stepped back and took a moment to take in his armor and swords. "And you're a soldier now, too! Is that why you're here; because of the attack?"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. He had not expected a reunion, and certainly not under these circumstances.

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that," he murmured, "but you should really go back to your homes. That's probably the safest place, and I have to go…up to the palace. With the Dai-Li. To, uh, deliver a report."

Zuko gestured towards the squad of Dai-Li waiting in the street outside, but Jin shook her head.

"No, you don't understand," she said, "We all live down closer to the wall where the fighting is. The soldiers told us to come up here and wait until the attack stops. And we aren't allowed in past the middle ring because we don't have the right passes. This is the best we can do."

"Why would the soldiers send you up here?" Zuko gasped in annoyance, "They know that this tea house is…"

And he cut himself off. He had been about to say…_is right in the path of the attack_. But he could not reveal that. Of course the Earth Kingdom soldiers, who had surely been the ones Jin had spoken with, would not know that the Fire Nation was supposed to drive directly up through this neighborhood on their way to the middle ring. Zuko had specifically picked the army's path out of spite for the tea shop, hoping, with good reason, that it would be destroyed by the fighting. He had not thought about the patrons, notably Jin, when he had made the plan.

_Damn. I can't reveal that I know the army is coming this way without giving away that I'm Fire Nation. And why the hell do I care anyway? This place deserves to burn for subjecting me, a prince, to menial labor like some peasant. And why should I care about her; it was an evening and nothing more. But…_

…_but she _was_ kind when I needed it and treated me like a person despite this scar. Damn it, I owe her this much. Agni curse it; why can't I be more like Azula?_

Zuko caught Jin's eyes and spoke with soft urgency. "It isn't safe here. Don't ask why; it just isn't. Now listen carefully; I can bring you and your friends up to the palace with the Dai-Li and me. You'll all be protected there until things settle down. But we have to go now."

Jin looked up at him, uncomprehendingly. "But our homes…we can't just leave them. What if there are looters or they block off our streets or…"

"We don't have time for that!" Zuko snapped, grasping her arms urgently while glancing edgily towards the door as if expecting Fire Nation troops to come surging in at any second. "Don't you understand? The city is being invaded. This isn't a game; if you're not careful then you could all die. This is a _wooden_ building and the men coming are _fire_benders. Do you want to take that risk? Everything changed when we…when they blasted through the wall."

Looking shaken as the finality of the situation dawned on her, Jin nodded. "All right. But how can we get to the palace? The gate guards won't let anyone from the lower ring up past the gate to the middle city."

Zuko smiled confidently. "Leave that to me. Just get everyone on their feet and moving. And hurry! We don't have much time."

In a few moments the cluster of women and children, who had heard the exchange between Jin and the scarred soldier, were standing up and filing out the doorway into the street. As Jin walked out next to a middle-aged woman who must have been her mother, she gave Zuko a bright smile of appreciation, which he stiffly struggled to return.

_Great. Now I've just got to get them up to the most heavily guarded part of the city during an invasion. _Zuko thought. _Just my luck._

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The newly-expanded group passed through the city's gate with relative ease. Sometimes the guards tried to protest the movement of so many unauthorized persons to the upper levels, but a burning glare from Zuko backed up by the presence of nine Dai-Li quickly overcame their reluctance. Getting Jin to urge the slower ones on, Zuko was able to reach the gates of the palace before, he hoped, the fighting had reached the middle ring.

As they approached the massive gates in the ornately painted and tiled outer wall of the Earth King's palace Zuko strode out into the lead. A Dai-Li sentry on the wall signed down to him and Zuko waved back, gesturing to hiss vivid scar. After a moment the agent nodded and disappeared from view. A moment later the gates creaked and groaned and began to swing open.

_At least this cursed scar is good for something; it makes me distinctive enough that I don't have to learn any on those fancy hand-signals._

As a gap appeared between the two massive doors Zuko continued towards the entrance and gestured for the rest to follow him. At first the Earth Kingdom peasants seemed reluctant, even unwilling, to move closer to the forbidden sanctum of the ruler they had never seen. However, with the insistent prodding of the Dai-Li and absence of guards telling them to leave they finally began to shuffle forward with Jin in the lead, following Lee. Following Zuko.

As Zuko slipped through the growing gap in the gate a Dai-Li officer glided up to him from the shadows.

"You have returned early. I hope everything went well?" he intoned smoothly.

"Fine," Zuko snapped back brusquely, "Have someone find a place for these women and children. Keep them away from the fighting and where they can't see _my_ troops. Understand?"

The man nodded and flicked his wrist, flashing a message to a subordinate with his fingers. The lesser agent rushed off.

"It will be done." The officer replied after a moment, and continued, "Also, you are wanted in the War Room, My Prince—."

Catching a rustle of green robes in the corner of his eye, Zuko lunged forward like lightning. He struck the Dai-Li officer like a thunderbolt, knocking him crashing back into the gatehouse wall, where he crumpled to the floor. Eyes seething with rage Zuko spun around to see who had heard.

Jin stood there, eyes wide in shock. Zuko was surprised himself. He had been prepared to deal with whoever it was, but he had not been expecting her.

"Lee? What…what was that? What did—", she began.

"Nothing, Jin," Zuko quickly cut her off, "he was just saying…just saying…things. It's not important."

Jin still looked astonished at the violence though. "But I heard his saw something about task, and a prince…"

"Zuko took her arm, gripping firmly, but not tight enough to hurt. "Don't worry about that. We'll talk about this when it's all over, all right? Just stay with the others and take care of them and you'll all be safe. Leave the rest to me, okay?"

Eyes still wide Jin nodded shakily and, with a slight nudge from Zuko, turned and headed off towards the others from the tea shop, who were being lead in towards the main building by the Dai-Li who had been sent off only a moment ago.

With Jin gone, Zuko turned to look down at the weakly twitching body of the officer at the foot of the wall.

_You fool. Why couldn't you have kept your mouth shut? Dammit! Why the hell would he use my title _now_, when we're so close? If I hadn't been able to redirect Jin, or if someone dangerous had overheard, you could have gotten s all killed. Stupid idiot. You almost screwed everything up. Maybe you did anyway._

With a final glance towards the retreating backs of the Earth Kingdom citizens Zuko turned and strode off towards the main palace and the War Room. He had a battle to fight.

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Azula was seated on a massive throne overlooking a vast, painstakingly crafted model of Ba Sing Se, marked out with a flurry of green and crimson flags depicting troop movements. Surrounding her were the ever-present Mai and Ty Lee, and a bustle of Dai-Li aides carrying messages from the fighting and marking out the changes on the miniature city. A few moments ago the Fire Army had broken the middle wall in several places, resetting many of the miniature flags as Fire units surged forward and Earth units fell back or were overrun and vanished completely. Across the model stood Lin Xu, who had since returned from the lower walls, and was now staring pensively at the interplay of colors on the sculpture while waiting for orders. There was surprisingly little noise in the vast chamber; only the rustle of robes and the dry slap of soft shoes grazing the stone floor. Voices remained silent.

It was into this environment that Zuko entered, throwing open the heavy double doors and striding into the War Room with a restless energy, like a caged tiger-wolf.

"Ah, Zuzu, so wonderful of you to show up," Azula purred.

"I was busy." Zuko growled back. "I'm not your servant Azula; I have more important things to do. What's so urgent anyway; is the army finally here?

Azula gestured dismissively to Lin Xu, who stepped forward to explain. "The Fire Army is pushing into the Upper Ring. The princess sent out messengers to call back the Earth Kingdom defenders for a 'stand' in front of the palace walls. If there are no unforeseen problems the Fire Army should be right of the defenders' heels when they get here."

Zuko nodded and smiled grimly. "How much time do we have?"

This time it was Azula who answered, rising smoothly to her feet with martial grace. "Minutes. Its time to go."

Then she raised her voice to address the room. "Victory is almost at hand. Serve well and you will be rewarded when the city belongs to the Fire Nation. Fail, and you will suffer for the rest of your miserable lives."

With that she strode out, Mai and Ty Lee close on her heels, leaving a characteristic chill over the room. Zuko snorted in frustration and stalked after his sister and her friends along with Lin Xu and a score of Dai-Li guards.

_Finally! Something productive; I've been waiting for too long as it is for this. Time to kill some earthbenders._

As they followed the corridor towards the outside of the palace and the guard wall, Zuko glanced to his right to catch Lin Xu's eye. He searched for any sign of misgiving or reluctance in the man to fight for the downfall of his own people, but found only the steely resolve of a trained soldier following orders.

_A useful man_, Zuko thought_, useful, but dangerous. If he'll follow whoever's on top that means he'll betray us in a heartbeat if we lose control. And that he won't hesitate to kill me if Azula tells him. I'll have to keep a close eye on this Lin Xu._

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Moments later Zuko, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee stood on the rampart of the palace wall looking down at the vast plaza stretching out from the wall to the buildings several hundred paces away. Hot afternoon sunlight beat down on them and Zuko could feel its warmth pulsing through him, raw power rushing through his veins and waiting to be unleashed. Azula felt the same thing, judging from the rare look of ecstasy on her face. Spread out along both directions of the wall were hundreds of figures closely swathed in dark cloaks. An observer might have wondered how those men could survive the oppressive heat under such dark wrappings, had they not known one crucial detail; they were firebenders! Hundreds of firebending elite from the 5th and 3rd Battalions, draped in black cloaks to hide their crimson armor, lined the walls of the Earth King's Palace; a deadly surprise for the Earth Army due to arrive at any moment. Interspersed with the disguised firebenders were Dai-Li agents. While the Dai-Li kept the surprised earthbenders on the defensive, the firebenders on the wall and in the encroaching army would be able to catch the Earth Army in a pincer and incinerate them.

Captain Zhu, recognizable despite his voluminous cloak for his impressively broad shoulders, which strained both the cloak and his underlying armor, walked calmly up to the royal siblings. Although not a tall man, standing a head shorter than Zuko, Captain Zhu was reputed to be one of the strongest soldiers in the Eastern Fire Army and was easily twice as broad as the prince. Word had it that Zhu had actually _thrown_ earthbenders down the mountain at the battle of Nu Gai, an especially impressive feat considering the size of an average earthbender, much less that of the shock troops sent against the army at Nu Gai. Despite his fearsome reputation, the captain was amiable and popular with his men, the kind of soldier who enjoyed a man's life story just as much as he did a drunken brawl in a tavern. Zuko preferred Captain Shin of the 3rd, a much more serious and dour man than Zhu.

"Your highnesses," Zhu bowed with a grin, "All my men are ready and so are Captain Shin's guarding the back wall. Good day for a battle, too; with this much sun I feel stronger already. Ha Ha!"

Zhu quickly brought his bawdy laugh to a close. "What else do you command?" he intoned with another bow.

"Nothing more, Captain," Azula said airily with a wave of her hand, "Just make sure nothing goes wrong. There is no room for mistakes."

With another grin and a bow Zhu strode off to his position a few dozen paces to Zuko's left. Alone again, Azula turned to Zuko.

"We're almost there, brother," she whispered, gliding her hand lightly over his arm, "Only a few more moments and it will all be done. Once the Army has driven the earth peasants up against the wall the Dai-Li will drop their boulders on them and, oh, imagine the chaos that will cause…the fear…And then our firebenders will strike! Those pitiful fools won't know what hit them! They'll have their hands full keeping the Dai-Li attacks back and defending against our elites that the rest of the army will burn right through them. Imagine it Zuko; Ba Sing Se will be mine, ours, then. Truly, for the first time since we fought the Avatar. And then…then the Avatar and his little friends will pay. We'll hunt them down with all the might of the empire and drag them back to the capital in chains! And then, finally, everything will be…"

Azula was cut off by a yell from the gatehouse. At that moment hundreds, thousands, of Earth Army soldiers began rushing into the plaza. Some tried to form up into defensive positions but many just made for the assumed safety of the palace wall. In moments the plaza was filled with a writhing mass of green and brown, countless thousands in all, the back of the horde pressed up against the high wall below Zuko and Azula as they tried to take formation. Unfortunately, there was only a few moments pause before Fire Nation troops flooded the plaza, pouring out of the streets and crashing against the half formed lines of the Earth Army. Flashes of crushing rock and bursts of flame signaled these clashes.

Azula waited a few moments, and then calmly raised her arm and let it drop. Hundreds of boulders soared over the wall and smashed down on the unsuspecting Earth Kingdom troops. Before they could react the Dai Li struck again, planting their feet and pushing _upwards_ with their fists, causing spikes to spring out of the ground, impaling dozens of unwary soldiers. Lin Xu was a blaze of energy, flashing his arms in short quick movements which sent stone shrapnel tearing through the Earth Kingdom ranks and kicking his feet to launch lines of spikes up from the ground into the milling throng.

After a few moments the earthbenders on the ground began to react, blocking the Dai-Li strikes and sending blasts of rock up at the wall top. It was at this moment that Azula raised her arm again, and let it fall. As one, the black-swathed figure on the ramparts dropped their cloaks to reveal shining scarlet armor. Moving swiftly the elite firebenders stepped to the edge of the wall and began to pour fire down on the massed Earth Kingdom soldiers. The effect was devastating. Caught by surprise and unprepared, with the earthbenders already busy repelling attacks from Dai-Li on one side and the main Fire Army on the other, the elites' strike tore through the mass of men. Huge gaps opened between groups and the integrity of the already disorganized formation began to quickly collapse. From the wall top Mai flicked knives and shuriken at choice targets while Azula loosed lightning bolts into particularly crowded or well-organized groups of fighters, killing scores of men at once. To her left Zuko blasted every earthbender he could see with an overwhelming hail of fireballs.

Finally realizing that the palace, their one hope for refuge, was held by the enemy, some earthbenders tried to use pillars of rock to lift themselves up to the top of the wall. This made them even more vulnerable and most were cut down before they had risen much above the battlefield. A few, however, managed to get closer. They hurled blasts of rock at the Dai-Li and firebenders on the wall, killing a fair number and knocking others off into the palace courtyard behind the rampart. One particularly powerful earthbender had made it almost to the top of the wall. Moving with impressive strength and skill he smashed the missiles thrown at him by the Dai-Li and brought up stone shields as protection against the blasts of the firebenders. The earthbender reached the level of the wall top and slammed a massive boulder into the rampart, killing or knocking away half a dozen defenders. He looked ready to leap to this cleared space when a blur of pink launched out from the wall. Ty Lee struck the hulking man in the shoulders with her feet and spun around with lighting speed, striking him twice under the arm, once at the base of his neck, and then vaulted over his head to slam the heel of her foot into a pressure-point on his sternum. She also used this strike to launch herself back to the wall, flipping through the air and landing neatly in the space cleared by the earthbender. Back on his rock plinth, the huge earthbender grunted, swayed, and tumbled off the pinnacle and back down onto the heads of his friends.

Zuko surveyed the battle with a fierce glint of victory in his eye. To his left Captain Zhu was burning swaths through the enemy with particularly massive lances of flame, a maniacal look of glee in his eyes. To his right Azula, Mai and Lin Xu were tearing apart the Earth Kingdom soldiers in front of them. The many thousands who had rushed into the plaza earlier had been reduced to scattered hundreds, managing to hold a line against the main Fire Army on the edges of the square but tattered and holed on the inside. In a few minutes the pressure from the attacking army would become too great and the Earth Army would collapse, letting the Fire Nation flood into the interior gaps in their formation and effectively spelling their doom. Most of the earthbenders were dead, either killed in the original Dai-Li surprise attack or later by Azula, Lin Xu, Mai or himself. There was no hope left for the Earth Kingdom forces; in a few moments they would all be dead or dying.

Just as Zuko had predicted, the Earth Army perimeter collapsed. There was a succession of shouts from the edge to his left, mingling terror and glee, fierce victory and bemoaned defeat, and the Fire Army smashed through the ranks and poured into the gaps behind the front line. In an instant the increasingly hollow Earth Kingdom formation holding back the waves of Fire Nation was replaced with scattered islands of green amidst a sea of crimson and black. Zuko sent a few fireballs towards these scattered groups of survivors but it was an unnecessary effort. Within heartbeats all but a few holdouts dwindled down to nothing under the encroachment of the red tide. A few breaths later even these few survivors had been overrun.

With the last clangs of battle a pervasive, muffling silence fell over the vast army packed into the plaza and surrounding streets. The quiet lingered and lingered, until it was broken by a shout. And, with that, the entire square erupted in yells of victory and triumph. Zuko grinned, looking out over the assembled soldiers; _his_ soldiers. At long last Ba Sing Se had fallen to the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom was no more.

For Zuko, his path was abruptly clear. The clouds and mist that had blocked his vision were torn away and he could unmistakably see his place in life. He was _Prince_ Zuko, eldest son of Firelord Ozai and Lady Ursa, Grandson of Azulon and great-Grandson of Sozin. Crown Prince Zuko, heir to the Fire Nation. Heir to the world.

That was his path. It had always been, and he couldn't understand why he had failed to see that before. His struggle had made him strong, cunning, it had prepared him for the rest of his life. Suddenly calm, Zuko's eyes drifted shut and his mined flickered inward. A split in his consciousness, so hard to achieve before, was suddenly slipping apart like two petal of a rose. As if in a trance, Zuko raised his arms. He felt the power building up within him, growing. The two parts wanted to rejoin, _needed_ to be one. And then, stretching out his fingers, Zuko let the two sides of his _chi_ come crashing back together. At that instant streams of bright blue lightning erupted from Zuko's outstreached fingers, arching into the sky an over the plaza. In that moment the sun itself paled in comparison to the cold fire emanating from the Prince's fingers.

He was Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation, and his path was assured.


	6. A Diamond Land of Ice

CRIMSON TIDE

**Chapter 6: A Diamond Land of Ice**

Icy southern wind swirled across the bow of the black metal ship, curling artic fingers around the command tower and racing along the bare, unprotected deck. The sleek Fire Nation ship glided between towering pillars of glittering ice at the southernmost reaches of the world. Sluggish icebergs drifted off the stern, many times the size of the black vessel navigating delicately between them.

A lone pair of figures stood in the center of the ship's frost encrusted deck. The tallest of the couple was swathed in a long red coat, the color so dark that it would easily pass for black, and stood so rigid and straight that she seemed at home amongst the cold metal surrounding her. The second girl had wrapped herself in a bright pink parka which stood out as much as her friend blended in. Again in contrast the girl in pink was a tapestry of movement, fidgeting and spinning to follow the sights of the new environment.

"Wow, Mai," Ty Lee gasped, "Who thought that the South Pole would be so cold?"

"More like who though the South Pole would be so boring," her companion griped back. "I mean seriously, what's even the point of coming down here? All that's here is cold and ice, and more cold. I can't believe there's actually some kind of tribe down here, or something."

"Well you heard Azula; there are people here. The South Water Tribe or something like that. And we're supposed to find them." Ty Lee quipped back.

"Hmph," Mai sniffed, "Didn't some admiral find them already and kill their special fish?"

"No silly," giggled Ty Lee, "That was the _North_ Pole Water Tribe; this one's different."

Mai's only response was to shrug and walk over to lean on one of the deck rails. After a brief pause Ty Lee followed with a series of handsprings.

"Isn't this weather funny?" The girl in pink bubbled, "My tummy's not used to being all covered up all the time. Poor tummy." She rubbed her stomach for emphasis.

"Whatever." Mai continued to stare at the passing scenery.

A moment later, though, Mai turned to her friend, "Ty Lee, why are we here?"

"Oh, to find the Water Tribe peop—"

"No, not that," Mai cut her off, "I mean why are we, of all people, sent out of Ba Sing Se to go look at a group of primitives living in tents in the middle of nowhere? Out of all the people who Azula could send on such a pointless little task, why does she send _us_?"

"Hmm," pondered Ty Lee, seeming to be thinking hard, "I guess she just though we were the best ones for the job."

Mai groaned. "You know what I think? I think she wanted to get us out of Ba Sing Se. Just think about it; first she gets rid of all the maids in the palace, then she reassigns almost every firebender girl in the garrison. And now we're on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Doesn't that seem a little strange to you?"

Ty Lee tapped her nose thoughtfully. "You know, come to think of it, Azula was acting pretty strangely before we left. And I heard her yelling at Zuko in his room, except she didn't sound angry; she sounded upset."

She trailed off. "Does Azula get upset? I know she has angry, grumpy, greedy, maybe a little—"

"Ugh. Ty Lee you're getting off topic. The point is, Azula's acting like a paranoid girlfriend and we should know why. I mean, we have known her longer than anyone else. I didn't put up with all her little kissing games at the Fire Academy to know her _second _longest."

"Oh come on, Mai," chirped Ty Lee, "You enjoyed those kissing games just as much as the rest of us. I could almost hear you thinking about Zuko a couple of those times…"

"I'm over him now. He barely looked at me when we met up in Ba Sing Se. Jerk. It's not like he had anyone else."

Ty Lee put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry Mai. You're really pretty and I know you'll find someone good. If it helps, what you said make's it sound like Azula really is a paranoid girlfriend. And on a princess scale too."

"Do you think so?"

"I dunno." Ty Lee shrugged. "But anything's possible. But who would go for a girl like Azula? Hmmm. Especially after how red her aura is getting. Hmmm…"

Before Mai could reply one of the soldiers came rushing up the deck, almost slipping on one of the patches of ice, but recovering and coming to attention in front of Mai and Ty Lee.

"Ugh," Mai groaned, "I wish we had gotten a decent ship, one of the new ones with the heating pipes in the deck. Damn Zuko's spite; he just had to send us down to the South Pole on one of the same tiny Rhino-Class destroyer's he was exiled on. Just had to."

The sailor waited through Mai's tirade before speaking.

"Umm, Milady? And Milady? One of the spotters saw a small village on the cost a few miles ahead. Should we make course?"

"Fine." Mai waved her hand dismissively. "At least there's something real to do now. Ty Lee and I can finish our conversation later. And tell the Captain Zhu to get the 5th ready. It's time for them to earn their keep."

The cold wind swirled before the black ship bearing down on the little village, carrying the promise of death in its faint shriek through the sparkling diamond ice of the south.


End file.
